This week I am celebrating my one year blogiversary. It’s been crazy what with all the parties and red carpet and well wishes from celebrities. I have hardly had time to eat. The paparazzi is driving me nuts. Just snap your shots and be on your way. Thank goodness for many hours without electricity yesterday. That mandatory hiatus from media staved off the onslaught and gave me time to focus on what is important here, you. That time off gave me the recharge I needed to wake up early, with the power restored, and bring you today’s visual spectacular.

If you’ve been around this week then you know this is the prize set from the Happy Blogiversary give away post on Monday. If you haven’t registered to win there is still time. Just click that link there and go do it. This is hand-tooled and stained leather made by a man just a few miles from my house.

This pic was taken at 10PM. on the walkway leading to our house from the street. I call it the Ant Super Highway. Everyday when the temperature goes down and the traffic is less the ants begin crossing the sidewalk. They go in both directions carrying items. This happens for hours every night and by morning they are settled out of the footfall again.

The ants, Leaf Cutters, are traveling between two of these. This is a path cut through the grass to ease their transit from one tree to the next to the hole leading to the little ant kitchen where the cook up these treats. They climb the tree, cut the leaves into pieces and then carry it back to the house on these roads.

In the event you needed to secure something in a tree, might I suggest this variety of Coco. These spines can be 6 inches long and are very sharp. The begin at ground level and go all the way to the top. This probably why we don’t have very many “Tree huggers” in Paraguay. *rimshot*

This was my lunch one day this week. This is a typical Paraguayan dish. It is a baked chicken breast with the wing and a potato salad made here. This plate with Mandioca (tuber like a potato or yuca) and a 500 ml (16 oz) drink was $2.50.

I decided to give you a bonus pic this week since I used one for the prizes. You gotta love efficiency. Paraguay uses tons of motorcycles because they are economical. They come in many shapes and forms. This one is a work model with a bed and to save fuel the man has LOADED it. Pile it high, tie it tight.